1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for facilitating education and training of individuals and, more particularly, to a system and method that allows efficient creation, implementation and utilization of interactive training modules and/or scenarios. The disclosed system and method facilitate creation, implementation and utilization of computer-based simulations by personnel involved in a wide range of educational, professional and/or business pursuits, and include administrative functionalities that greatly enhance system/method efficiency, flexibility and the ease and speed with which educational/training modules and scenarios may be customized and/or implemented.
2. Background Art
Significant attention is devoted to education and training of individuals at a variety of stages in their personal and professional development. Educational and training efforts take a multitude of forms, including classic classroom lectures, periodic seminars, reading/review of reference materials, and experiential living. A further form of education and training, namely xe2x80x9cdistance learning,xe2x80x9d has been utilized by individuals to extend their education and training, e.g., by way of correspondence courses. With the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web, a specialized form of distance learning has developed and may be termed xe2x80x9ce-learning,xe2x80x9d i.e., distance learning utilizing a computer network, e.g., the Internet, to access educational and/or training materials.
Beyond providing users with computer-based access to educational and/or training materials, e-learning offers the provider(s) of educational/training materials the ability to make available such educational/training materials to a larger potential audience in an efficient manner. For example, e-learning providers are able to leverage their educational/training content across a spectrum of users/potential users, without incurring substantial incremental cost. Individuals that access the content of an e-learning provider are generally able to do so at their convenience, completing the educational/training regimen at times and over periods consistent with their respective schedules. Moreover, such individuals are able to revisit portions of the coursework, as needed, to ensure understanding and retention.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ce-learningxe2x80x9d is intended to encompass educational/training materials that are remotely accessible to users, e.g., over the Internet or the World Wide Web, as well as educational/training materials that are accessible to or within an organization or entity, e.g., via hosted educational/training module(s) and/or scenario(s) that are available on an intranet network. The advantages associated with e-learning, e.g., broad availability and flexibility in access and use, apply with equal force to hosted educational/training materials, whether accessed via an intranet or the Internet. Students and/or employees may be provided with meaningful opportunities to extend, enhance, refine and/or hone their knowledge, skills and experiences by accessing such hosted educational/training materials over an intranet and/or the Internet.
Development efforts have been invested in improving the quality and delivery of computer-based educational/training products and services. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,589 to Parker et al. relates to an Internet-based training system that includes a xe2x80x9chabit capture systemxe2x80x9d that is designed to model a user""s characteristics when he/she uses a keyboard, mouse or digitizer. The Parker ""589 system queries users as to certain information and captures representative information concerning the user, including keyboard typing patterns, mouse click patterns, and misspelling patterns. The captured information may be compared to characteristics stored in a database related to such user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,578 to Parker et al. describes an interactive training apparatus that constitutes a self-contained mobile unit and includes a program control unit and audio/video program transducing units responsive to program records. Lessons are defined by the program records, and the apparatus includes a fold-out keyboard for limited access by an instructor/operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,349 to Daniels et al. describes an instructional management system that provides a virtual school user interface that runs on networked personal computers to provide administrative and instructional functions to users in a scholastic environment. Users are able to access desired rooms within a displayed school representation, and the system presents each user as a real-time entity within the virtual school so that interaction with others and with system elements is possible. The Daniels ""349 system discloses various functionalities, such as a learning path editor, a guidance tutor, a courseware scheduler and a system monitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,792 to Helweg-Larsen et al. describes a business education model that allows individuals to simulate running a company. The model permits users to track financial information concerning the simulated company, such as assets, liabilities and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,955 to Summers relates to a management training simulation system that is intended to develop decision-making skills in a defined, simulated situation. Multiple users may interact with the simulation system to cause object designs to be injected into the simulation. The Summers ""955 training system utilizes a multipeaked value function to process designs throughout the simulation. Users are selectively provided with information about at least some of the objects in the simulation and, based on the users"" assessment of such information, revised object designs are sent to the simulation for processing according to the multipeaked value function.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,539 to O""Connor et al. describes a goal-based learning system for providing a cognitive educational experience. The O""Connor ""539 system provides the user with a simulated environment that presents a business opportunity to understand and solve. The system is adapted to note mistakes and present remedial educational material on a dynamic basis. An artificial intelligence engine is utilized to drive individualized and dynamic feedback synchronized with video and graphics intended to simulate a real-world environment and associated interactions. Multiple xe2x80x9ccorrectxe2x80x9d answers are integrated into the O""Connor ""539 system to allow individualized learning experiences in which navigation through the system is at a pace controlled by the user. Users are allowed to experience real world consequences associated with their actions/decisions, and a dynamic feedback system provides reports on a user""s progress to assist in defining the educational goal. The O""Connor ""539 patent disclosure offers a detailed background discussion concerning relevant programming considerations, simulation design considerations, and potential applications for educational/training simulations having general applicability to the subject matter of the present disclosure, and the entire contents of the O""Connor ""539 patent are hereby incorporated by reference.
Despite developments to date, a need exists for a system and method for facilitating education and training of individuals and, more particularly, a need exists for a system/method that allows efficient creation, implementation and utilization of interactive training modules and/or scenarios. System(s) and method(s) having utility in a wide range of educational, professional and/or business pursuits are desired. In addition, system(s) and method(s) that include administrative functionalities that offer advantageous levels of efficiency, flexibility and the ease and speed with which educational/training modules and scenarios may be customized, maintained and/or implemented are also needed.
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for facilitating education and training of individuals and, more particularly, to a system and method that allow efficient creation, implementation and utilization of interactive training modules and/or scenarios. The disclosed system and method facilitate creation, implementation and utilization of computer-based simulations by personnel involved in a wide range of educational, professional and/or business pursuits, and include administrative functionalities that greatly enhance system/method efficiency, flexibility and the ease and speed with which educational/training modules and scenarios may be customized, maintained and/or implemented. The disclosed system and method is particularly advantageous in facilitating the creation, revision and maintenance of educational training modules and scenarios.
According to preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the disclosed system and method provide administrative users (xe2x80x9cadministratorsxe2x80x9d) the ability to create realistic, conversational scenarios in an easy, efficient and timely manner. The scenarios may be used for a wide variety of educational/training purposes, including sales training, customer service training, and the like. Indeed, it is contemplated that the disclosed system and method may be utilized to create highly effective educational/training modules and scenarios for use in all evaluative and/or communicative fields, including developing problem solving skills, socialization skills, interviewing skills, negotiating skills, and pre-employment qualification assessment and analysis. Thus, the potential uses and applications of the disclosed method/system are essentially limitless.
Preferred system(s)/method(s) according to the present disclosure provide administrative interface(s) that permit rapid creation of new and/or modified scenarios, and facilitate efficient addition, modification and/or deletion of scenarios (in whole or in part) associated therewith. Administrative interface(s) are typically accessible to individuals who have passed through password protection, as is known in the art, and levels of administrative accessibility are typically created and implemented within an organization to ensure administrative access is limited, as appropriate.
According to preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, users are permitted to interact with respect to the scenarios created, implemented and utilized according to the present disclosure. In preferred embodiments, user access to the scenarios and other disclosed interactive functionalities associated with the present disclosure is restricted by appropriate password protection. Users may provide feedback to system administrators, e.g., through completion of feedback forms, to provide input as to existing scenarios and/or suggestions as to additional scenarios that might be created. Users are generally provided with the ability to search existing scenarios on the system, e.g., by subject matter, product, industry, need, customer, segment, and geography.
The disclosed system is typically hosted on a server, accessed via a computer network, e.g., a WAN, LAN, and/or the Internet, and user interactions are typically achieved through a graphical user interface in a browser-based environment, e.g., using a Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. Scenario(s) created according to the present disclosure may generally be utilized across the computer network, e.g., via the Internet, or downloaded to a user""s computer for operation from the user""s hard drive. It is further contemplated that scenario(s) created according to the present disclosure may be provided to users on conventional media, e.g., compact disc, floppy disc, or the like, through conventional retail outlets.
Preferred embodiments of the disclosed system/method allow a network-based user to return to an incomplete scenario, e.g., based upon a xe2x80x9ccookiexe2x80x9d downloaded onto the user""s computer, thereby permitting convenient interaction with scenario(s) in a discontinuous manner. In further preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, a database associated with the disclosed system/method collects and stores information/data concerning the interactions of individual users with individual scenarios. Based on the information/data collected in such database, a user may effectively return to a previously visited scenario, e.g., a scenario that was incomplete, and gain the benefit of previous interactions therewith. The database collects log-type information concerning user""s interactions with a scenario, whether the user is operating in a network-based or a non-network based manner with the disclosed system/method.
A particularly preferred aspect of the present disclosure relates to the advantageous design and operation of the administrative functions associated with the disclosed system and method. The administrative functionality provided according to the present disclosure allows easy, efficient and rapid creation and implementation of educational/training scenario(s) that meet the needs of individuals in a broad range of personal and professional pursuits. Indeed, the administrative functionalities provided according to the disclosed method/system unlock the significant benefits associated with using simulated scenario(s) to educate and/or train individuals. Such administrative functionality overcomes a key obstacle to widespread adoption of scenario-based educational and/or training methodologies, namely, the significant difficulty associated with creating educational/training scenario(s) that reflect and address the unique aspects of the subject matter of interest in a timely and effective manner.
Thus, in preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, a system and method are provided for creating scenario(s) whereby users may enhance their understanding of relevant information. In an exemplary preferred embodiment, sales scenario(s) may be created that allow sales representatives to gain a better understanding of a company""s products and services, and through scenario interactivity, provide such sales representatives with a better understanding as to how to effectively identify and communicate appropriate proposals/solutions to potential customers/third parties based upon relevant information. Scenario(s) created according to the present disclosure may also function as a resource for users seeking guidance in their personal/professional situations and/or function as a training reinforcement tool that may, in the case of sales representatives, help to increase sales revenues and/or margins by establishing a better educated, more selective, direct and indirect sales force. Indeed, the educational/training content associated with exemplary scenario(s) created and implemented according to the present disclosure advantageously enables sales personnel to focus their time and energies on prospects with a greater likelihood of purchasing the relevant products and services.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for use in creating an interactive educational module is provided that includes an advantageous administrative interface. The administrative interface preferably includes a plurality of predetermined links for accessing predefined screens for use in inputting information associated with creation of the interactive educational module. At least one of the predetermined links generally provides access to a predefined input screen that is designed and configured to receive a rating for information that is input on the predefined input screen. The rating is generally based on a predefined rating scale, e.g., good, bad, neutral. A verification system may be advantageously provided according to preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the verification system functioning to check to ensure that the rating for information input on the predefined input screen(s) satisfies predetermined criteria.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for use in creating an interactive educational module is provided that includes an advantageous administrative interface. The administrative interface preferably includes a plurality of predetermined links for accessing predefined screens for use in inputting information associated with creation of the interactive educational module. At least one of the predetermined links generally provides access to a predefined input screen that is designed and configured to receive a rating for information that is input on the predefined input screen. The rating is generally based on a predefined rating scale, e.g., good, bad, neutral. A scoring system may be advantageously provided according to preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the scoring system utilizing the ratings for the information to derive a performance level for a user of the interactive educational module. Preferred scoring system according to the present disclosure are responsive to attribute(s) of a user of the interactive educational module, e.g., the skill or experience level of the user. Additionally, preferred systems according to the present disclosure may also include a reporting system that generates report(s) reflecting performance levels for users of the interactive educational module.
According to an additional preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for creating an interactive educational module is disclosed that includes: (i) providing an administrative interface that communicates with a processor and a memory unit, the administrative interface providing a plurality of links to access input screens for inputting information associated with creation of an interactive educational module; (ii) selecting from among the plurality of links to access input screen(s); (iii) selecting information for inclusion in the interactive educational module from predefined information displayed on the input screen(s); (iv) inputting additional information on the input screen(s) for inclusion in the interactive educational module; (v) providing rating(s) for the information selected and input on the input screen(s) (the rating(s) being advantageously selected from a predefined rating scale); and (vi) providing a scoring system for establishing a performance level of users of the interactive educational module.
Preferred methods according to the present disclosure may further advantageously include the additional steps of activating the interactive educational module for access by users across a computer network; utilizing the information in the creation of a second interactive educational module; and/or hosting the interactive educational module on a server accessible across a computer network. Preferred methods according to the present disclosure may copy predefined information (in whole or in part) from prior interactive educational module(s) in creating new interactive educational module(s).
Additional features and functions of the disclosed system and method will be apparent from the detailed description which follows.